‘Killer driver’: Marek Wojiechowski, 26, who ‘deliberately’ crashed into an Irish family’s car – killing a father, his unborn child and his son

A suicidal driver killed a young family on their holiday when he ‘deliberately’ ploughed head-on into their car, an inquest heard.

Taxi driver Marek Wojiechowski, 26, left a four-page suicide note after splitting up with his wife before getting into his Vauxhall Vectra.

Police were alerted by his wife and they started following him with their blue lights and siren on but the Pole crashed into a family of Irish holidaymakers in front of them.

Con Twomey, 39, his 16-month-old son Oisin and his pregnant wife Elber’s unborn baby girl all died following the accident in Torquay, Devon, in July last year.

Wojiechowski also died following the crash.

Although Mr Twomey initially survived he suffered a severe brain injury and died ten months later.

Before the crash, the driver’s black taxi had spent 40 minutes driving 12 two-mile circuits around the Hamelin Way loop before he was spotted by a police car with blue lights flashing driven by Pc Ben Bickford.

When the police officer told him to pull over, the Pole responded by speeding towards a junction and driving straight into the Twomey’s car – making it ‘impossible’ for them to avoid him.

Pc Bickford told the jury he followed the car ‘on a hunch’ to see if it was Wojiechowski.

He drove between 70 and 80 mph to catch up with the Vectra and flashed his lights four times to signal the driver to pull over.

Pc Bickford said: ‘When I saw that he wasn’t going to stop I pulled back. I am not a trained pursuit driver. The driver was aware of my presence

‘As we approached the single carriageway he made a deliberate act of accelerating and driving straight into the other carriageway.

‘The back end of the vehicle dipped dramatically, turning directly into an oncoming car. I was just in shock.’

Crash victims: Con Twomey (right) suffered a severe brain injury and died 10 months after the crash in July last year. His wife Elber (left) survived the collision but lost her unborn baby girl

Widowed Elber Twomey asked questions through her barrister about the lack of a specific police procedure to deal with suicidal drivers.

But Chief Superintendent James Nye told the court that Pc Bickford was operating within standard police procedures.

Chief Supt Nye told the jury: ‘He operated within the national guidelines and practises and according to the training he had received in dealing with vulnerable people.

‘He completed a three week standard driving course which deals with vulnerable drivers and he acted in accordance to this.

‘No one foresaw that outcome. It is tragic and it affected the whole policing community but it was in line with guidelines.’

Crash victim: Oisin, aged 16 months, was killed in the accident on the last day of his family’s holiday in England

Mrs Twomey was supported by her brother and a family friend at the inquest.

She left the courtroom as paramedics described how they fought for an hour to save her baby son Oisin.

Wojiechowski was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital but died from his injuries later that day.

The inquest heard his suicide note said he did not blame his wife for their split and that he loved their two children.

The Irish family wiped out by the crash were on the last day of their holiday from Meelin in Cork.

Wojiechowski, a former chef and kitchen porter, had recently got a job as a taxi driver working six nights a week after they got into financial difficulties.

Interviewed by police a week after her husband’s death, his wife, who is a housekeeper, blamed herself for the accident.

She told officers, through a Polish interpreter: ‘Marek wasn’t coping well. He didn’t kill himself – I killed him. I took hope away from him. I took everything away from him.’

Mr Twomey was taken back to a hospital near his native Cork in Ireland but died in May this year.

Forensic pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffrey said the little boy was still alive on the back seat in the immediate aftermath of the crash but suffered ‘unsurvivable’ wounds.

Dr Jeffrey said: ‘Oisin was a well nourished and healthy child prior to this incident. He was unconscious and in cardiorespiratory arrest. He was still in his car seat.

Anguish: Con Towmey’s coffin is carried out of St Joseph’s Church, in Meelin, Cork, in May. He never recovered from a brain injury sustained in the collision and died 10 months after the crash in July last year

‘He had sustained catastrophic and unsurvivable head and neck injuries consistent with him being rendered immediately unconscious at the time of impact. ‘I give his medical cause of death as neck and head injuries.’

Dr Jeffrey said Wojiechowski suffered multiple injuries to his head, ribs and lungs. He was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital but died later from his injuries.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), has launched its own probe into the collision.

The jury of 10 are only deciding on the cause of the deaths of toddler Oisin and taxi driver Wojiechowski.